Track and field: Huddle, Hollis move on

EUGENE, Ore. — Molly Huddle figured the best way to stay out of trouble was to get in front of everybody.

So, the Notre Dame grad did just that, taking the lead and setting the pace through her women’s 5,000-meter semifinal Monday at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

She ended up finishing second in a time of 15:46.05, but that was just fine. The top six finishers automatically advanced to Thursday’s championship race.

“I wanted to relax but I didn’t want to get tripped,” said Huddle, “so I decided to stay in the front. That’s always the biggest thing you worry about in a prelim, falling.

“I just wanted to stay up front and keep it comfortable,” the nine-time Irish All-American said.

Thursday’s race will be a lot different. “It will definitely be more conservative,” she said. “In the final, your kick has to be a more potent, so you have to be a little more relaxed early.”

Along with Huddle, Mishawaka resident Mark Hollis also advanced to a Thursday final. In his case, it was in the men’s pole vault.

Though a cold rain soaked Oregon’s Hayward Field, Hollis passed opening height and chose, instead, to take his first attempt at 17 feet, 8½ inches. He sailed over cleanly, automatically placing himself among the 11 guys in the final.

“I wanted to take as few attempts as possible,” said Hollis. “I only had to take one, so I’m pretty happy.”

Hollis and most of the other pole vaulters complained bitterly about being forced to vault in a hard rain. Thirteen competitors failed to clear opening height, and there weren’t even enough qualifiers to fill out the field for the finals. (There are supposed to be 12.)

“It was pretty dangerous, guys were slipping everywhere,” he said.

Olympic teams were decided Monday in the women’s 800-meter run, where Alysia Montano finished first in 1:59.08 and in the men’s 800, where Nick Symmonds burned a 1:43.92, the fastest time in Hayward Field history.

Sam Humphreys of Texas A&M won the men’s javelin, Jamie Nieto cleared 7-5 ¾ to win the high jump, and Amanda Smock leaped 45-9 to claim the women’s triple jump.